A Georgia police officer has been placed on administrative leave after fatally shooting a family&#8217;s baby donkey while searching for a missing child early Sunday.
The baby donkey, named HeeHaw, was shot after officers entered a pasture at Elsberry Riding and Farm in Polk County around 12:45 a.m., <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1V2UWvu4Vy/">according</a> to local authorities and the animal&#8217;s owner.
Officers from the Cedartown Police Department were assisting Polk County police in the search for a missing child when they entered the pasture, authorities said. The child was later found safe at a church near the pasture.
Farm owner Hannah Israel said officers entered her property without permission or warning before encountering HeeHaw, a bottle-raised donkey that regularly interacted with people at local petting zoos.
&#8220;He never knew a stranger,&#8221; Israel wrote on Facebook. &#8220;And [he] was shot and killed in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do. &#8230; Alerting to a stranger.&#8221;
&#8220;He was my son,&#8221; she added.
Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome confirmed that an officer shot the donkey during the search and said the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
Authorities have not identified the officer or publicly explained what happened immediately before the shooting.
The Polk County Sheriff&#8217;s Office stressed that its deputies were not involved in the incident, saying officers from the Polk County Police Department and Cedartown Police Department were conducting the search.
&#8220;We extend our sincere condolences to the family and everyone affected by this unfortunate incident,&#8221; the sheriff&#8217;s office said. &#8220;We understand the concern and sadness surrounding what occurred.&#8221;
Israel started a GoFundMe to help with legal fees. So far, nearly $100,000 has been raised. A user named &#8220;Justice For HeeHaw Solana&#8221; donated $10,000 to the cause.
&#8220;He was a loved member of our family and did many petting zoos and made many people smile,&#8221; the message read on the GoFundMe page.

Credit: Elsberry Riding and Farm

‘He Was My Son’: Police Kill Beloved Baby Donkey In His Own Pasture

animal welfare

cedartown police department

georgia

police shooting

polk county

A Georgia judge’s shocking leniency allowed a serial menace back on the streets to terrorize locals, and it culminated in an <a href="https://www.wtoc.com/2026/08/07/man-arrested-attempted-rape-daffin-park-has-22-arrests-since-2020-records-show/">attempted rape</a> at a popular park in Savannah, Georgia.
Judge Claire Williams repeatedly handed 30-year-old Lashawa Doyle a soft-touch &#8220;get out of jail free&#8221; card, granting him suspended sentences and credit for time served in almost all of his recent cases. Despite a staggering rap sheet boasting 22 arrests since 2020, which included eight arrests in 2026 alone, the judge consistently cut him loose without forcing him to serve any real jail time.
The tragic result of this judicial revolving door unfolded at Daffin Park when Doyle allegedly launched an assault on a female victim at a public restroom. City workers overheard the struggle and alerted an off-duty police officer, who rushed in to apprehend Doyle and halt the attack. Doyle now faces charges including criminal attempt to commit a felony, aggravated sexual battery, false imprisonment, and public indecency.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Man arrested for attempted r*pe at Georgia park has 22 arrests since 2020, eight in 2026 alone and was just released from jail 17 days ago
Judge Claire Williams is the one who keeps releasing Lashawa Doyle.
WE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS <a href="https://t.co/D5KL3AXe8K">pic.twitter.com/D5KL3AXe8K</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2086806499444047941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Just 17 days prior, Doyle had walked free after his latest release. Out of his last 15 arrests, he was consistently released &#8220;on his own recognizance&#8221; or given credit for time already spent behind bars. His arrests included a February assault on a woman at a transit stop — that left her facial features bruised —  and explicit sexual acts near college housing.
Though Judge Williams ordered Doyle to avoid new offenses, prosecutors somehow failed to file motions to revoke his suspended sentences even as his arrest count surged. Williams’ leniency comes amid her successful re-election campaign in May, where she <a href="https://www.savannahtribune.com/articles/judge-claire-williams-announces-bid-for-re-election/">touted</a> her decades-long tenure on the bench as an example of &#8220;equitable&#8221; service.
Local leaders are fiercely blasting the system for failing law-abiding citizens. Alderman Nick Palumbo slammed the continuous releases, stating:
<blockquote>
This is somebody that has time and time again violated the trust of our community. And I would love to hear accountability from the Judge and I’ve asked from the district attorney’s office, their accountability mechanism to what is happening here. Housed or unhoused, mentally ill or no, this is a violent sex offender in our community and people have a right to feel safe and not be terrorized in this manner. This could have gone — if it had not been for the Savannah Police Department, the park employees and the innocent bystanders that called this in — an entirely very different story.
</blockquote>
Georgia State Representative Jesse Petrea echoed those frustrations, adding:
<blockquote>
This is the same old story over and over again. And sadly, the people of Chatham County have again been failed by the system. &#8230; As a legislator, we have in Georgia provided every opportunity for the judicial system to hold anyone like this individual accountable for his crimes and to keep him away from the people — in the protection of the innocent and the frail and the vulnerable and the weak. All of that is there. It all hinges on one thing. And that is that the judicial system, our judges, our district attorneys and our sheriffs must do their job to hold these people accountable.
</blockquote>

Gavel and handcuffs

Soft-On-Crime Judge Freed 22-Time Offender, Now He Faces Disturbing New Charge

crime

criminal justice reform

judicial system

savannah

<div>
A teenage killer and his mom giggled like schoolkids over jailhouse phone calls, reveling in his sick online stardom after he gunned down four innocent people in 2024 at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.
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The haunting audio played in a packed Barrow County courtroom on Tuesday revealed that the 16-year-old murderer, given a lifetime behind bars without parole, bragged in October 2024 about his internet fan base from a youth detention cell and asked his mother to conduct an online search for his name, The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16010971/Twisted-Apalachee-High-School-shooter-mom-laugh-jail.html">reported</a>.
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“Heck yes, because then I can show you all the pictures,” the mother said. “Oh my God, I&#8217;ve got so many new pictures that I&#8217;ve got to show you.”
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She even admitted she put a creepy illustration of him transformed into a fox as her phone&#8217;s lock screen, promising to eventually construct a &#8220;shrine&#8221; at home.
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“Have you made a shrine yet of me?” her son eagerly asked. “I&#8217;m in the big leagues, bro.”
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The shooter was 14 when he unleashed hell on September 4, 2024. He pleaded guilty to 55 counts, including murder, for slaughtering teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, along with 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Nine others were left wounded.
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Prosecutors detailed how the teen calculated every move to achieve lifelong fame in the internet&#8217;s &#8220;true crime community.&#8221;
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Investigators uncovered a literal shrine on the gunman&#8217;s bedroom wall dedicated to the Parkland school shooter, alongside thousands of saved photos of the Florida mass murderer on his phone.
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&#8220;I want people to remember the pain I caused and research me for hours,&#8221; the gunman posted on Discord before the attack.
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The court heard how the teen strategically scattered &#8220;Easter eggs&#8221; during the shooting to guarantee true-crime obsessives would dissect his massacre for years to come.
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The shooter&#8217;s defense team painted him as a broken child raised in a chaotic household filled with domestic abuse, drugs, and financial ruin.
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His father was convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in March after giving his son the assault-style weapon used in the rampage as a Christmas present.
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Despite his lawyers&#8217; pleas for mercy, Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/apalachee-high-school-shooter-colt-gray-sentenced-life-parole-rcna589406">slammed the door</a> on any chance of freedom.
</div>
<div>
&#8220;You aren&#8217;t racked with guilt. You&#8217;re proud of yourself,&#8221; Judge Primm spat, noting the killer was driven solely by a desire for fame. &#8220;I will sentence you to life without parole for each of the malice murders you committed.&#8221;
</div>

GEORGIANEWCOMERS

Teen Shooter Giggled With Mom On Jailhouse Phone Over School Massacre Fame

Mother

school shooting

Communities across the country are fighting to keep data centers out. Columbia County, Georgia, is hoping one moves in so it can eliminate residential property taxes.
“The data center will produce more revenue when built and fleshed out,” Columbia County Board of Commissioners Chairman Doug Duncan said. “It’s going to take a couple of years, [but] it’ll produce more tax revenue than the homestead that comes from taxes in Columbia County. Our long-term objective with this is to eliminate the homestead tax.” 
For the owner of the county&#8217;s median-priced home, valued at roughly $305,000, that could mean saving about $2,900 a year. Renters could also benefit if landlords pass those savings on through lower rents.
 Columbia County recently purchased almost 2,000 acres near an Amazon facility for the proposed data center. Officials estimate the project could generate $400 million in tax revenue. Duncan said the figure &#8220;boggles my mind because we have $100 million in a general fund. It&#8217;s hard for me to believe it&#8217;s that much.&#8221; 
If the project is successful, Duncan said Columbia County would, to his knowledge, become the first county in the nation to eliminate residential property taxes. 
On Thursday, President Donald Trump praised communities that welcome data centers.
“You have communities that really want the data centers and, frankly, those are the smart communities,” Trump said.
Trump explained data center construction creates “tremendous numbers of jobs” with “very little actual disruption,” and added that some communities are “begging for” the facilities because of the tax revenue they generate. 
Other communities have not eliminated residential property taxes, but officials say data centers have significantly boosted local education budgets and teacher pay. 
A Redfin analysis found that Virginia’s two largest data center hubs, located in Loudoun County and Prince William County, have drastically outspent their neighboring counties on education over the past 15 years. 
Teacher salaries in Loudoun County rose about 40% from 2010 to 2023. In neighboring Fairfax County, salaries rose about 29% to roughly $82,000. 
Richland Parish, Louisiana, has reported similar benefits following Meta&#8217;s data center expansion.
“Last year, our teachers received a $10,000 bonus, this year that check was over $50,000,” said Sheldon Jones, Superintendent of the Richland Parish School District. “It’s life-altering for our teachers and their families, and it&#8217;s transforming our schools.” 
“With bonuses like that, the best educators come to you. And if we can attract the best teachers, we could become one of the best school districts in our region.”
Opposition to data centers isn’t partisan, with both sides of the aisle advocating for their demise. There are more than 300 local groups organizing against new facilities. Last week alone, organizers staged <a href="https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/community-backlash-ai-data-centers/">142</a> protests across 42 states, <a href="https://www.americanrivers.org/rivers-and-data-centers/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=12077091751&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAD-YJLR6T16vxDtzFzWk_pRf_Xuzy&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw94bTBhDQARIsAN3vv0zDpU9WgIdSWG4b00Vjisrg7VmReeH5GoG9fXh70xgzu2bIoLlrYyAaAlcDEALw_wcB">citing</a> concerns about water use, environmental impacts, and potential increased utility costs.

US-NEWS-NEV-DATA-CENTERS-LV

Why This County Is Fighting For A Data Center

Data Centers

donald trump

fairfax county

loudoun county

Louisiana

Tax Cuts

Tax reform

Taxes

Teachers

virginia

President Donald Trump advocated for a 35-year Atlanta Braves tradition during a rally in Marietta, Georgia, on Wednesday afternoon.
While introducing former Braves manager Brian Snitker and current president and CEO Mike Plant at the event, fans immediately began to do the “tomahawk chop” — a move that has been criticized as culturally insensitive — but Trump quickly voiced his support for the gesture, and the crowd continued, even louder than before.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Donald Trump in Georgia, introducing former Braves Manger Brian Snitker and the tomahawk chop chant breaks out&#8230;
&#8220;Ohhh listen&#8230; they say you are not allowed to do that.. do it&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/EzSDdKOOOF">pic.twitter.com/EzSDdKOOOF</a>
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) <a href="https://x.com/ZachKleinWSB/status/2080032996896178428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
After thanking the president, Snitker expressed his gratitude for how passionate “Braves country” truly is and how there was a “room full of Braves country right here.” Snitker ended his speech telling the rally about gifts President Trump received, as well as possibly receiving in a few months.
“Mike and I presented President Trump with one of our 4th of July 250th anniversary jerseys the team wore over the weekend,” Snitker said. “I just wanted to tell President Trump we are going to be back in Washington a year from now and we are going to give him another world championship jersey.&#8221;
For years, the chant has received pushback from the Left with claims saying the chant is “racist” and “offensive.” Petitions were drawn up calling for a ban on the chant in stadiums across the country. The chop originated at Florida State University — and is still a common occurrence at that school. The Native American tribe reflected in the Seminoles logo has not expressed pushback over the chant.
The “tomahawk chop” is one of the most notorious chants across sports, but it only came to Atlanta 35 years ago. The Braves started chopping in 1991 when former Florida State University defensive back turned outfielder Deion Sanders joined the roster, bringing the tradition from college to MLB.

President Trump Delivers Remarks At A Georgia High School

WATCH: Trump Gives Braves Fans Permission To Infuriate The Woke Left

atlanta

baseball

President Trump

sports

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ramped up his pressure campaign against Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), urging supporters to flood his office with calls demanding action on the SAVE America Act. 
“We have to pass the SAVE America Act to defend American elections. And I have to say, Mike Johnson and Congress have done a great job, but we&#8217;re having a hard time in the Senate,” Trump said at a <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2080034029487685876?s=20">rally</a> in Georgia. “It’s like the Senate is a place where you send things when you want them to die.” 
“We’re not going to take this any longer… I’m trying to be nice, Trump added. “Everybody call John Thune at the Senate, he’s the leader of the Republican party, and tell him to get this stuff approved!&#8221;
The president also renewed his call to eliminate the filibuster, arguing Democrats would quickly abolish the 60-vote threshold themselves if they regain power.
“The Democrats are going to terminate the filibuster as soon as they have a chance, and then they&#8217;re going to approve Puerto Rico and D.C. as a state. They got four more senators. They&#8217;re going to end up with 12 more congressmen. They&#8217;re going to get like 40 electoral votes,” the president said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We have to pass the SAVE America Act to defend American Elections… We’re not going to take this any longer&#8230; Right now, Congress is working to get as much of our plan as possible into the budget bill&#8230; everybody call John Thune at the Senate&#8230; and tell him to get… <a href="https://t.co/uBzhGziRSm">pic.twitter.com/uBzhGziRSm</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2080034029487685876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
“But I may be crying when I&#8217;ll be sitting home, and I&#8217;ll say, I told them, they&#8217;ve got to really terminate the filibuster, get everything approved right away,” he added. 
Trump&#8217;s remarks came hours after the House passed a third version of the election integrity measure by attaching it to the GOP-backed Stop Insider Trading Act, legislation that would ban members of Congress from buying and selling stocks.
The combined bill passed 232-198, with 13 Democrats joining Republicans to advance the measure, marking the first congressional stock-trading ban to receive a House floor vote, <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/22/congress/house-votes-to-restrict-congress-ability-to-purchase-and-sell-stocks-01008697">according to Politico.</a>
Frustration with Thune isn&#8217;t limited to the White House. House Republicans who have repeatedly passed the legislation have also grown increasingly vocal about the Senate&#8217;s inaction.
“If John Thune has shown that he does not want to put the SAVE America Act on the Senate floor, he should step aside,” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) <a href="https://x.com/RepOgles/status/2080028930518495258?s=20">said</a> on social media. “There are plenty of other options in the Senate capable of securing our elections as Majority Leader.” 
Republicans have also pointed to New Jersey&#8217;s recent admission that a &#8220;software error&#8221; led to thousands of non-citizens being registered to vote, arguing the situation shows the need for stronger election safeguards.
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill revealed Tuesday that the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) mistakenly registered roughly 6,600 non-citizens despite their indicating they were not U.S. citizens while applying for IDs and driver’s licenses between June 2023 and June 2024, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-jersey-registered-thousands-of-non-citizens-to-vote-due-to-software-error?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=New+Jersey+Registered+Thousands+Of+Non-Citizens+To+Vote+Due+To+%E2%80%98Software+Error%E2%80%99">The Daily Wire reported. </a>
“These individuals answered ‘no’ when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S. citizen when applying for drivers’ licenses and identification cards, but through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway,” Sherrill <a href="https://x.com/GovSherrillNJ/status/2079602942722662725">wrote</a> in an X post.
Trump administration officials have said the non-citizens who illegally voted could face prosecution and deportation. 
&#8220;People need to see the consequences of voting when you&#8217;re not allowed to,” Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2079992093800280377?s=20">told</a> conservative podcast host Benny Johnson. 
Back on Capitol Hill, Democrats argued the stock trading ban didn&#8217;t go far enough, but ultimately opposed the bill because it included provisions from the SAVE America Act.
“Republicans have corrupted their so-called stock trading bill with a decaying piece of the SAVE American Act corpse,” Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) Morelle said, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/22/congress/house-votes-to-restrict-congress-ability-to-purchase-and-sell-stocks-01008697">Politico</a>.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain path forward.

Donald Trump/John Thune

Trump Turns Up Heat On Thune Over SAVE Act

2026 elections

congress

Democrats

Elections

Executive

Filibuster

Insider Trading

john thune

mike johnson

News

politics

Rally

Republicans

save america act

Trump

U.S. Senate

Georgia&#8217;s Democrat senator Jon Ossoff has made healthcare one of the central themes of his 2026 re-election campaign. In speeches, social media posts, and interviews, the first-term lawmaker particularly speaks about protecting mothers, preserving labor and delivery services, and ensuring that women have access to quality maternity care.
But those arguments have increasingly collided with another part of his record.
Last year, Ossoff <a href="https://x.com/ossoff/status/1968345283227795584?s=20">blasted</a> Republicans over closure of labor and delivery services at St. Mary&#8217;s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia, warning that women in northeast Georgia would be forced to travel farther to give birth safely. The message was straightforward: women need access to maternity care, and policymakers should protect it.
Yet when the debate shifts from hospital access to questions of biological sex and gender identity, Ossoff has taken a markedly different position.
Among the votes drawing renewed scrutiny is his <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00319.htm">opposition</a> to a Senate motion that sought to define pregnancy-related programs around the biological reality of pregnancy itself. The proposal would have clarified that federal pregnancy programs are intended for those capable of becoming pregnant. Ossoff voted against it, along with all other Democrats.
That vote may seem obscure compared to a hospital closure or a Medicaid debate, but it raises a larger question: if pregnancy and maternity care are issues specifically affecting women, why oppose efforts to define them as such?
Healthcare has become one of the senator&#8217;s <a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/12/22/bookman-republicans-need-to-accept-that-most-americans-think-health-care-should-be-available-to-all/">preferred political battlegrounds</a> ahead of the midterms. Ossoff routinely frames debates through the language of mothers, pregnant women, and families. His criticism of the St. Mary&#8217;s decision was built around the image of women going into labor and needing care close to home.
At the same time, his voting record reflects support for a broader Left-wing framework that increasingly avoids sex-based definitions in favor of language based on so-called gender identity.
Ossoff posted his criticism of the GOP over St. Mary&#8217;s labor and delivery services closure as the Republican-controlled Congress and the Trump administration scaled back some health spending. The hospital, however, said the decision followed roughly 18 months of review and was driven by a combination of factors, according to reporting by the <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/09/22/jon-ossoff-big-beautiful-bill-rural-hospital/">Daily Caller</a>. 
Among the reasons for the decision were physician recruitment challenges, demographic changes, and declining utilization rates. Financial records also showed the facility had struggled for years before the announcement, yet Ossoff reduced the issue to a partisan attack.
Now, the debate is no longer simply about healthcare. It is about whether voters see Ossoff as a principled advocate or a politician whose definitions change depending on which argument is most useful at the moment. For a candidate asking Georgians to trust him on healthcare, that distinction could matter even more in the coming months. 
In Tuesday&#8217;s runoff election for the GOP primary, Georgia Republicans elected U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) to face off against Ossoff in November. Collins entered Tuesday&#8217;s election after an endorsement from President Trump. November&#8217;s general election is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.
Ossoff did not respond to a request for comment.

Jon Ossoff

Jon Ossoff Opposed Measure To Block Men From Receiving Maternity Care

jon ossoff

Businessman Rick Jackson has won the Republican nomination for governor of Georgia, defeating Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in one of the most expensive and closely watched primary battles of the 2026 cycle.
Decision Desk HQ projected Jackson as the winner Tuesday night, capping a campaign in which the healthcare executive spent more than $100 million of his own fortune to overcome endorsements from both President Donald Trump and outgoing Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Jackson will now face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who secured the Democratic nomination in May, in what is expected to be one of the most competitive governor&#8217;s races in the country.
The result represents a rare setback for Trump&#8217;s endorsement operation. The president backed Jones nearly a year ago and repeatedly reaffirmed his support throughout the campaign. Kemp, despite his often-complicated relationship with Trump, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/16/georgia-brian-kemp-senate-governor-races-00962993">joined</a> the President and also endorsed Jones on Sunday.
Yet Jackson&#8217;s massive personal spending transformed the race. A relative political outsider, Jackson built statewide name recognition through an unprecedented advertising blitz centered on immigration enforcement, tax cuts, healthcare manufacturing, and his personal story of growing up in Georgia&#8217;s foster care system before becoming a billionaire entrepreneur.
The contest also revealed an unusual split within the Trump political orbit. While President Trump stood firmly behind Jones, Donald Trump Jr. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-divided-don-jr-praises-governor-hopeful-running-against-trumps-pick">publicly praised</a> Jackson on the eve of the election, highlighting his investments in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and energy infrastructure. Trump Jr. stopped short of issuing a formal endorsement but described Jackson as a &#8220;good man&#8221; who had helped advance America First economic priorities.
&#8220;Regardless of what happens in the Georgia Governor&#8217;s race tomorrow, we should celebrate the patriots building up MAGA and an America First economy like Rick Jackson has,&#8221; Trump Jr. wrote Monday. Jackson&#8217;s victory suggests that enormous personal wealth and outsider appeal can still overcome even the combined political weight of political kingpins like Trump and Kemp in a Republican primary. The race was widely viewed as a test of influence for both men. Trump remains the dominant figure in Republican politics nationally, while Kemp leaves office as one of the most popular governors in the country and a potential 2028 presidential contender.
Attention now shifts to the general election, where Jackson will face Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor and Biden administration official who has long been considered one of Georgia Democrats&#8217; strongest statewide candidates.
With Georgia continuing to occupy the center of the nation&#8217;s political battleground map — perhaps only behind Pennsylvania in swing-state importance — the Jackson-Bottoms contest is expected to become one of the most closely watched governor&#8217;s races in America this November.

GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Rick Jackson Holds Primary Election Night Event

Trump And Trump Jr. Split In Georgia. Voters Chose One.

Georgia Republicans on Tuesday chose Rep. Mike Collins as their Senate nominee to face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in a race that could help determine control of the upper chamber.
With half of the results reported, <a href="https://x.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/2067036048463462609">Collins</a> leads former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley with 53.3% of the vote. <a href="https://votes.decisiondeskhq.com/races/2026-06-16/georgia-us-senate-republican-runoff">Decision Desk HQ</a> called the race at 8:05p.m. local time.
Collins and Dooley advanced to a runoff on May 22 after no candidate passed the 50% threshold, earning <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/elections/results-georgia-primary.html">40.5% and 30.2%</a> of the vote, respectively. 
The contest presented another test between the power of the MAGA movement and the Republican establishment, with President Donald Trump and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp once again at odds.
Over the weekend, Trump weighed into the race for the first time, throwing his political clout behind Collins. 
“It is my Great Honor to endorse ‘MAGA’ Mike Collins, a Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning, and is running for the United States Senate in Georgia, a very special place to me, and where we just had a BIG Presidential Election Win with the Most Votes Received by any single Candidate in Georgia’s History, for any Election,” <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116754019906128212">Trump wrote on Monday morning.</a> “Mike is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Patriots in Georgia and beyond, and many Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate — He is a WARRIOR and WINNER!”
 Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-makes-endorsement-ahead-of-critical-senate-runoff">first endorsed</a> Collins on Saturday. 
“Mike has to beat a Republican Opponent before he gets to Ossoff,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116746683568766400">said</a> on Saturday in his first post endorsing Collins. “I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person. Unfortunately, he has lived outside of Georgia for most of his life, didn’t vote in 2020 or 2016, and said that I lost Georgia in 2020 when, in actuality, the facts have now proven that I won by a lot!”
Governor Kemp backed Dooley, who said the former football coach was “our one and only opportunity to knock Jon Ossoff off.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Marty and I are proud to support <a href="https://x.com/DerekDooleyGA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DerekDooleyGA</a>. Hardworking Georgians are ready to fire Jon Ossoff and send a conservative fighter who will put Georgians first and bring a new kind of leadership to Washington, D.C.
Let’s get out the vote for Derek tomorrow! <a href="https://t.co/B8v3QA8ubP">pic.twitter.com/B8v3QA8ubP</a>
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) <a href="https://x.com/BrianKempGA/status/2066540610467803237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
Kemp, a popular two-term governor, did not get his way. Trump, widely seen as the kingmaker of Republican politics, has consistently prevailed in Republican primaries, with few exceptions.
Last month, Trump made another last-minute intervention in a GOP Senate runoff, endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who defeated Senator John Cornyn in a landslide margin. The president also knocked off longtime Republican Congressman Thomas Massie in Kentucky and a handful of Indiana state lawmakers who bucked his redistricting push. 
Whether his hand-picked candidate will prevail in November presents a different question. Ossoff, the only incumbent Democratic senator in a state that voted for Trump, holds an early advantage going into November, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/georgia-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html">according to most polls</a>.
Holding Ossoff’s seat would go a long way in Democratic efforts to flip the 53-47 Republican-controlled Senate. 
“After nearly a year-long, brutally messy audition to win over the White House, Trump puppets Mike Collins and Derek Dooley have made themselves both unelectable and terminally inseparable from the toxic president,” the <a href="https://x.com/TeamOssoff/status/2066170071672586713?s=20">Ossoff campaign posted on X</a>.

Rep. Mike Collins

Trump Wins Again: MAGA Candidate Runs Away With Georgia Senate Runoff

President Donald Trump and his son appear to be rooting for different candidates to be the next governor of Georgia ahead of Tuesday&#8217;s runoff election.
Trump endorsed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, but on Monday, Donald Trump Jr. put out a statement praising Jones’ rival, Rick Jackson. Trump Jr. clarified that his post was not an endorsement.
&#8220;Regardless of what happens in the Georgia Governor’s race tomorrow, we should celebrate the patriots building up MAGA and an America First economy like Rick Jackson has,&#8221; Trump Jr. <a href="https://x.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/2066590785756418413">wrote</a>. 
&#8220;When China threatened our amoxicillin supply, Rick saved the last amoxicillin manufacturing facility in America because he knows we can’t let China control our entire supply of antibiotics,&#8221; he added. &#8220;When the U.S. faced an oil refining shortage and the woke banks wouldn’t finance a new one, Rick stepped up again and became the largest outside investor. This has been a hard-fought race with a lot of mudslinging, but I know Rick Jackson to be a good man and that counts for a lot.&#8221;
Trump Jr. added that either outcome would be a win for conservatives. &#8220;By the way, this is not an endorsement of Rick and I think Burt Jones is a great guy too. My only point is that no matter who wins tomorrow, it’s a victory for MAGA.&#8221;
President Trump endorsed Jones last summer and then reaffirmed his endorsement in a post on Truth Social in March.
&#8220;Hello Georgia. I am thrilled to give my complete and total endorsement to my good friend and your next Governor Burt Jones. He is fantastic. He&#8217;s done a great job,&#8221; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/burtjonesforga/videos/a-message-from-president-trump/1514950866924504/">said</a> Trump in a video endorsement.
President Trump and Georgia’s current Republican governor, Brian Kemp, have had a tumultuous relationship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kemp was the first governor to reopen the state in late April of 2020, just weeks after the emergency lockdown was called.
At the time, Trump had urged Kemp to wait, but Kemp diverged from the president and reopened Georgia. It would not be the last time Kemp went against Trump’s wishes. The governor also certified the 2020 presidential election results from Georgia despite Trump&#8217;s objections, securing 16 electoral votes for then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Kemp, who is term-limited, also endorsed Jones.
The Kalshi prediction market favors Jones over Jackson in the runoff. The winner will face Democratic nominee and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Jones, once a prominent oil executive, has served as the state’s lieutenant governor for the last three years. Jackson, like the president himself, is a self-made billionaire. Jackson grew up in foster care and founded his first healthcare company in the Atlanta area in 1978. He has spent over $100 million of his own money on his race.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

House Divided: Don Jr. Praises Governor Hopeful Running Against Trump’s Pick

Donald Trump Jr.

Election

President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Mike Collins for Senate just ahead of the Georgia Republican primary runoff election. 
Collins is set to face off on Tuesday against former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley for the GOP nomination. The winner will take on Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff, who first took office in January 2021, in a race that could prove crucial for control of the Senate. 
“It is my Great Honor to endorse ‘MAGA’ Mike Collins, a Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning, and is running for the United States Senate in Georgia, a very special place to me, and where we just had a BIG Presidential Election Win with the Most Votes Received by any single Candidate in Georgia’s History, for any Election,” Trump wrote on Monday morning. “Mike is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Patriots in Georgia and beyond, and many Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate — He is a WARRIOR and WINNER!”
The race, which featured Collins, Dooley, and Rep. Buddy Carter, moved to a runoff on May 22 after no candidate earned over 50% of the vote. Collins advanced with 40.5% of the vote while Dooley advanced with 30.2%. 
Trump first endorsed Collins on Saturday, before reiterating his support on Monday morning. 
“Mike has to beat a Republican Opponent before he gets to Ossoff,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116746683568766400">said</a> on Saturday in his first post endorsing Collins. “I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person. Unfortunately, he has lived outside of Georgia for most of his life, didn’t vote in 2020 or 2016, and said that I lost Georgia in 2020 when, in actuality, the facts have now proven that I won by a lot!”
Dooley is backed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who said the former football coach was “our one and only opportunity to knock Jon Ossoff off.&#8221;
Tuesday&#8217;s Georgia runoff election will also feature the Trump-endorsed Burt Jones against billionaire Rick Jackson, who has dumped millions into the race. Jones took 38.2% of the vote the first time around to Jackson&#8217;s 32.5%. 
Last month, Trump made another last-minute intervention in a GOP Senate runoff, endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn. Paxton went on to solidly defeat Cornyn.

MixCollage-15-Jun-2026-09-13-AM-2163

Trump Makes Endorsement Ahead Of Critical Senate Runoff

2026 Midterms

senate

U.S. Politics

In less than a week, visitors from around the world will descend on Atlanta for the FIFA World Cup 2026, but many residents worry that the city&#8217;s transit system, known as MARTA, isn&#8217;t ready after three attacks in the past two weeks, including one killing.
&#8220;I&#8217;m nervous that it won&#8217;t be ready by next week for the world coming here,&#8221; one passenger told The Daily Wire.
At MARTA&#8217;s North Avenue Station, riders described a system they believe has become increasingly unsafe, citing violent crime, fare evasion, and a lack of visible security. The Daily Wire interviewed several passengers at the station, many of whom said they no longer feel safe while riding.
&#8220;When I say it&#8217;s not safe, there is no security,&#8221; one passenger said, pointing to multiple people walking through fare gates without paying. MARTA officials say fare evasion costs the transit system <a href="https://www.gpb.org/news/2025/06/25/how-can-you-be-confident-riders-officials-question-atlanta-transit-readiness-ahead">$7 million</a> per year. 
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Other riders said they have witnessed fights on trains. One passenger described an incident in which another rider struck a young girl without provocation. &#8220;There was a little Hispanic girl that got hit on the train,&#8221; the passenger said. &#8220;She was crying. It was really sad to see.&#8221;
Passengers also said weapons are not an uncommon sight. &#8220;Somebody dropped something. It was a gun,&#8221; one rider said. Another passenger recalled watching someone pull out a knife inside a crowded train car. &#8220;I&#8217;ve heard everything from death to rape to murder,&#8221; another rider said.
Several passengers said the trains get worse at night. 
&#8220;Absolutely not,&#8221; one rider said when asked if they felt safe riding MARTA at night.
&#8220;Nighttime is when I like to call them the nightcrawlers — the people you wouldn&#8217;t see in the daytime. The train is their home,&#8221; said another person. 
The riders&#8217; fears are reflected in the numbers and data. 
MARTA openly subsidizes fares for homeless riders while paying riders say they are left to deal with the consequences, such as drug use, outbursts, and mental disorders that can accompany those taking shelter on the train.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1113457" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.44.00-AM.png" alt="" width="1110" height="848" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.44.00-AM.png 1110w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.44.00-AM-300x229.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.44.00-AM-754x576.png 754w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.44.00-AM-768x587.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px" /></div>
Violent incidents on MARTA&#8217;s rail lines occur at nearly four times the national average for public transit systems, according to federal officials. 
Those concerns have drawn the attention of Washington. The Trump administration launched a federal investigation into MARTA following a series of violent attacks on the transit system.
&#8220;Every American should be disturbed by the horrific crimes we have seen on MARTA in the last month,&#8221; U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said.
&#8220;No one should be forced to fear for their safety simply because they choose to ride public transit,&#8221; Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/soccer/world-cup/kemp-offers-help-to-marta-all-they-gotta-do-is-call-and-ask-us/85-1b493562-a5b2-4c9e-8859-809741d9f59b?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook_11Alive">told</a> Atlanta Democratic Mayor Andre Dickens. “All they gotta do is call and ask us.” 
And while riders raise questions, Dickens projects confidence in the city’s transit system for the World Cup. “MARTA is going to step up big,” he <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/soccer/world-cup/atlanta-mayor-andre-dickens-city-officials-world-cup-pep-rally/85-87e12a83-601e-43cc-9030-3e77d59d94aa?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said</a>. 
While MARTA operates independently of City Hall, Dickens is not entirely removed from the transit system&#8217;s leadership. The mayor appoints three members to MARTA&#8217;s board of directors, giving him significant influence over the authority&#8217;s direction and oversight. As Atlanta prepares to welcome visitors from around the globe, that relationship is likely to intensify scrutiny of the mayor&#8217;s handling of transit safety.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Venues – Atlanta Stadium

‘It’s Not Safe’: MARTA Riders Sound Alarm As Atlanta Prepares For World Cup

soccer

Transportation

world cup

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